Disgrace, by J. M. Coetzee

1717 Words4 Pages

This paper aims to investigate some aspects of postcolonialism, feminism, as well as symbolism, allegories and metaphors. For this purpose I have chosen the novel Disgrace (1999) by J.M Coetzee. The story takes place in Cape Town, in post-apartheid South Africa. David Lurie is a white man and works as a professor of English at a technical university. He is a ‘communication’ lecturer and he teaches ‘romantic literature’ too. Lurie is divorced two times already and one gets the impression that he is not really satisfied with his job. His "disgrace" comes when he makes attempts to seduce Melanie Isaacs, one of his students, against her will. This affair is then remitted to the school authorities and a special committee is convoked to judge his actions.

Camelia’s part

The fact that the whole plot takes place in the post apartheid era refers to the topic of postcolonialism. In Lurie’s eyes his students are stupid and uninterested in his course. To the arrangement with the perceived futility of his existence, appertains the affair with his student Melanie, because it fills the empty time and makes him forget the fear of getting older. But the liaison comes to light and an proceedings against the teacher are instituted. Of course a lot of people are infuriated by Lurie’s deed and here feminism comes into play. The organization Women Against Rape holds a twenty-four-hour vigil together with rape victims. Everything is done protect women, there is ‘Rape Awareness Week’ on the university campus (p.43). The investigative department wants David to confess and feel remorseful but he is stubborn and sees himself superior and more powerful to the dark-skinned people. Mr. Lurie absolutely fails to see that he did a huge mistake and refuses to ...

... middle of paper ...

...In the novel Disgrace, Lurie, the white man, seems in a sense to reflect this character because he is selfish and behaves very disrespectful towards women.

Books:
Disgrace (1999) by J.M Coetzee p. 43, 64, 74, 90, 92, 129, 198
The Way of The Sign (2011) by Camelia Elias
Compendium, Text and Sign: Autumn 2013 by Spencer Hazel

Websites: http://www.shmoop.com/disgrace-coetzee/symbolism-imagery.html http://www.novelguide.com/disgrace/metaphor-analysis http://www.ajol.info/index.php/tvl/article/view/93208 Books:
Disgrace (1999) by J.M Coetzee p. 43, 64, 74, 90, 92, 129, 198
The Way of The Sign (2011) by Camelia Elias
Compendium, Text and Sign: Autumn 2013 by Spencer Hazel

Websites: http://www.shmoop.com/disgrace-coetzee/symbolism-imagery.html http://www.novelguide.com/disgrace/metaphor-analysis
http://www.ajol.info/index.php/tvl/article/view/93208

Show More
Related

  • Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Where Men Win Glory is an ironic euphemism for war. The title is ironic because there is nothing glorious about war or the way it ended Pat Tillman’s beautiful life. Jon Krakauer orchestrates this masterpiece with his diligently, articulated descriptions and with a timeline sewn together from the threads of two worlds. The author’s style can best be characterized by his challenging, precise diction and his ability to fluently intervene pertinent quotes and facts that further persuade the reader toward his cause. Throughout the book, the author’s tone harnesses resentment towards the militant hierarchy; for through its ingenuousness, deceit, and manipulation, the military uses Pat’s death as propaganda to bolster the war’s support. Furthermore, the military covers up the fact that Tillman was a victim of fratricide, and it deceives the nation into believing Tillman’s end was a valiant fight against insurgents. When the truth is exposed and pursued by Dannie - Pat’s mother - the army destroys evidence and pleads guilty to ignorance as a rebuttal. This book is molded by three prodigious aspects that help to illustrate Pat’s life story. The carelessness of war, importance of family, and enhancement through change were all important ingredients that created a virtuous life. Each theme, in addition, challenges me personally to reassess the facts I have been fed and the reality that I have been presented. By doing so, I can achieve a sound base of knowledge and an intellectual prowess capable of challenging all facts presented.

    Read More

  • Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the ages, men and women have been at the heart of myths and legends, evolving into tragic heroes in large part due to the embellishment bestowed upon them over the ages. From Odysseus and Achilles to Brutus, Hamlet, and King Lear, epic poems have revolved around the tragic hero. Pat Tillman was a man of many aptitudes and virtues, never satisfied by the mediocre, striving for more adventure, more meaning, in his tragically short time on Earth, and personifying the phrase carpe diem. Even Pat Tillman had tragic flaws; his unwillingness to be typical, his undying loyalty to family and country, and his curiously concrete set of morals amalgamated to set in motion Tillman’s eventual death. These, whatever the outcome might have been, are not by any means, the archetypical tragic flaws. They are, as Jon Krakauer later described, “tragic virtues.” Where Men Win Glory is not solely a tribute to Pat Tillman. What makes it truly unique is its exhaustively comprehensive history preceding Tillman’s death, and equally essential, the events that transpired following his death, including the cover-ups, scandals, corruption, falsified documents, indignities, and lies that facilitated, also, in emphasizing the core themes, of which Tillman was the epitome. Tillman’s fidelity and devotion to the people whom he loved, the use of misinformation and cants surrounding his death, and others’ responses to what Tillman considered paramount in his life all played a key role in the tragedy of a man who won glory.

    Read More

  • Judgment in the House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    People place judgment on one another every day based on differences. Sometimes it is done subconsciously; sometimes it is done on purpose. In the book The House of Sand and Fog, by Andre Dubus III, two different cultures were represented; Kathy represented the culture of the western civilization, whereas Behrani represented the culture of Persians. People judge one another based on unimportant things, and get judged based on those same things as well. Two cultures were used to amplify how different their cultures were from one another. Throughout the book cultures vocalized what they did not like about the other cultures by placing judgment on people based on ethnicity, appearance, and status; despite how different the cultures were, they had something in common, negative judgment. In a world where there is so much diversity, the only way for all cultures to get along is to place judgments aside and accept the differences.

    Read More

  • The Perils of Obedience, by Stanley Milgram

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    If a person of authority ordered you inflict a 15 to 400 volt electrical shock on another innocent human being, would you follow your direct orders? That is the question that Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University tested in the 1960’s. Most people would answer “no,” to imposing pain on innocent human beings but Milgram wanted to go further with his study. Writing and Reading across the Curriculum holds a shortened edition of Stanley Milgram’s “The Perils of Obedience,” where he displays an eye-opening experiment that tests the true obedience of people under authority figures. He observes that most people go against their natural instinct to never harm innocent humans and obey the extreme and dangerous instructions of authority figures. Milgram is well aware of his audience and organization throughout his article, uses quotes directly from his experiment and connects his research with a real world example to make his article as effective as possible.

    Read More

  • A Century Of Dishonor, By Helen Hunt Jackson

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Century of Dishonor is a non-fiction book that was written by Helen Hunt Jackson and was first published in 1881. It focuses on the experiences the Native Americans had in the US, specifically on the injustices they faced while coming into contact with expansionist Americans. It consists primarily of the tribal histories of seven different tribes and describes their varied treatment respectively. For example, one of the incidents it depicts is the attack of Praying Town Indians in the colonial period, who, even though they converted to Christianity, were nevertheless eradicated.

    Read More

  • Pride In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although pride can lead to beneficial outcomes, pride with the absence of empathy can lead to a devastating result. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell shows that having too much pride and no empathy can get someone in some terrible trouble. The theme is proven by Rainsfords pride and unempathetic-ness, how the general had too much pride, and how the general only saw himself as the hunter, not the hunted.

    Read More

  • Compare the Sucesses and Failures of Patriarchy in Colonialism

    2312 Words  | 5 Pages

    Compare The Successes And Failures Of Patriarchy In Colonialism, In “The Tempest”, “Translations” And “Things Fall Apart”.

    Read More

  • War and Massacre, by Thomas Nagel

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “War and Massacre” by Thomas Nagel, Nagel argues that there are limits on what can be done to an enemy even its for the sake of overall good. He believes that such an idea is grounded on the principles of Absolutism, where morality is determined by the action itself (deontology). This is contrary to the view of Utilitarianism, which relies on the premise that Morality is determined by its consequences (Consequentialism). Although could one in fact generate such a moral structure around war? Do the ends justify the means in War? Through identifying with a real-life example, I will look to expand on Nagel’s account where an action taken by a country in war would be prohibited even if it were for the overall good.

    Read More

  • Without Conscience by Robert D. Hare

    1924 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Without Conscience" by Robert D. Hare is one aimed towards making the general public aware of the many psychopaths that inhabit the world we live in. Throughout the book Hare exposes the reader to a number of short stories; all with an emphasis on a characteristic of psychopaths. Hare makes the claim that close monitoring of psychopathy are vital if we ever hope to gain a hold over Psychopathy- A disorder that affects not only the individual but also society itself. He also indicates one of the reasons for this book is order to correctly treat these individuals we have to be able to correctly identify who meets the criteria. His ultimate goal with the text is to alleviate some of the confusion in the increase in criminal activity by determining how my of this is a result of Psychopathy.

    Read More

  • Obeyed Wifehood And Conceiving Womanhood In Othello And Oroonoko

    2129 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many readers feel the tendency to compare Aphra Behn's Oroonoko to William Shakespeare's Othello. Indeed they have many features in common, such as wives executed by husbands, conflicts between white and black characters, deceived heroes, the absolute vulnerability of women, etc. Both works stage male characters at both ends of their conflicts. In Othello, the tragic hero is Othello, and the villain is Iago. In Oroonoko, the hero is Oroonoko, the vice of the first part is the old king, and the second part white men in the colony. In contrast to their husbands, both heroines—Desdemona and Imoinda—seem more like "function characters" who are merely trapped in their husband's fates, occasionally becoming some motivation of their husbands (like Desdemona is Othello's motivation to rage, Imoinda's pregnancy drives Oroonoko restless to escape). While Shakespeare and Behn put much effort in moulding them, to many readers they are merely "perfect wives". This paper aims to argue that, Desdemona and Imoinda's perfect wifehood may be the product of compliance to male-dominated societies, where women are

    Read More

  • Gender Inequality and Feminism in Susan Glaspell's Trifles

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    In several instances throughout the plot, men mentally and emotionally abuse the women by considering their jobs simply as trifles and unimportant. Ironically, the women accomplish something more significant than the men ever will by discovering actual proof that could result in the arrest of Mrs. Wright. In another instance. Mrs. Wright was so dramatically emotionally abused by her husband, it culminated in her murdering him and without any remorse. The severity of this abuse arises from the social issue of gender inequality in the early twentieth century. Finally, both Mrs. Hale and Mrs Peters mutually decide to withhold the evidence from the men in order to preserve Mrs. Wright’s innocence. This action contributes to the empowerment of women and the upbringing of the feminist movement Susan Gladspell hoped to

    Read More

  • Desiree's Baby Thesis

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 20th and 21st centuries, women have earned and been granted with many rights that place a backbone in many corporations, businesses, households, and most importantly society today. If Desiree’ was a citizen in today’s society, she would not have to first be ashamed to have a baby of African descent or take anything from her husband if she did not want to. The background knowledge presented in this paper allows you to gain an image of what times were like for women in the 19th century and why Armand would have to be a different man with a different mindset in order to be accepted in today’s society.

    Read More

  • Feminist Literature

    1601 Words  | 4 Pages

    When it comes to post-colonial literature, most initially think about the colonization of other countries and how it has affected the natives. Though it is the most well known form of post-colonial literature, it is not the most wide-spread. By slightly altering the framing in which one looks at it, the idea that feminist literature by women from a patriarchal society is post-colonial literature begins to make sense.

    Read More

  • Sleeping Beauty: Feminist Critics

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...present powerful characters, while females represent unimportant characters. Unaware of the influence of society’s perception of the importance of sexes, literature and culture go unchanged. Although fairytales such as Sleeping Beauty produce charming entertainment for children, their remains a didactic message that lays hidden beneath the surface; teaching future generations to be submissive to the inequalities of their gender. Feminist critic the works of former literature, highlighting sexual discriminations, and broadcasting their own versions of former works, that paints a composite image of women’s oppression (Feminist Theory and Criticism). Women of the twenty-first century serge forward investigating, and highlighting the inequalities of their race in effort to organize a better social life for women of the future (Feminist Theory and Criticism).

    Read More

  • A Feminist and Post-Colonial Analysis of Anowa by Ama Ataa Aidoo

    1257 Words  | 3 Pages

    A feminist analysis on the other hand shows that Anowa is a woman who is struggling against the 1870’s African feminist identity (the identity of weakness). The drama surrounds the story of a young woman called Anowa who disobeys her parents by marrying Kofi Ako, a man who has a reputation for indolence and migrates with him to a far place. Childless after several years of marriage, Anowa realises that Kofi had sacrificed his manhood for wealth. Upon Anowa’s realisation, Kofi in disgrace shoots himself while Anowa too drowns herself. In a postcolonial analysis of “Anowa”, we can see some evidence of colonialism.

    Read More

More about Disgrace, by J. M. Coetzee

Open Document